The Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) for the Human Support and Safety System (HS3) of India's human submersible, Matsya-6000, has been successfully completed. This marks a significant milestone in the indigenous development of the submersible, which is designed to explore depths of up to 6,000 meters in the ocean.

The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) confirmed that the FAT for the HS3 was successfully conducted, demonstrating the system's functionality within the crew module sphere, which has an internal diameter of 2.1 meters.

The submersible is around 6.6 metres long, weighs 210 tons, and is designed to reach depths of up to 6,000 meters. It aims to allow researchers to study the deep-sea environment, including chemosynthetic biodiversity and hydrothermal vents.

The HS3 system is designed to support three people for up to 12 hours under normal conditions and up to 96 hours in emergencies. It includes features like a controlled oxygen injection system, carbon dioxide removal mechanism, sensors, control hardware, fire surveillance, extinguishers, and more.

Following this achievement, a wet test is scheduled for late October 2024 at Chennai harbour. This test will evaluate Matsya-6000's performance under real underwater conditions at a depth of 15 meters.

The successful completion of the FAT is crucial as it lays the groundwork for subsequent tests and ultimately for the operational deployment of Matsya-6000 in deep-sea exploration missions under India's Samudrayaan initiative.

As India completed the wet test, the scientific community is eager to see the results. A successful test would be a game-changer for India’s deep-sea exploration, paving the way for ground breaking research and showcasing the country’s growing technological prowess in marine science.

The Samudrayaan project is likely to gain momentum this year itself and a target has been set to carry out full-scale research by 2026.